Akshay DidwaniyaChinese President Xi Jinping says Beijing is ready to talk with “people of vision” in Taiwan, while Beijing holds firm on reunification.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has renewed his Taiwan dialogue offer. He spoke on Thursday at a major event in Beijing. The gathering marked 160 years since the birth of Sun Yat-sen. Xi said Beijing is ready to talk with “people of vision” from across the island.
Xi Jinping Taiwan dialogue offer at the Great Hall of the People
About 3,000 guests filled the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Senior Communist Party leaders also attended the ceremony. Xi used the moment to set out Beijing’s approach to Taiwan. He promised that China will give full weight to the realities on the island.
Xi then laid out the terms for talks. “Looking to the future, we remain committed to the policy of peaceful reunification and ‘one country, two systems’, and on the basis of upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 consensus, we are willing to conduct dialogue and consultation on cross-strait relations and national reunification with people of vision from all sectors in Taiwan,” Xi told the event.
What Beijing means by peaceful reunification
Beijing says peaceful reunification is the best solution for Taiwan. It has never ruled out the use of force, however. Xi stressed that the one-China principle and the 1992 consensus remain the base for any talks. He also repeated Beijing’s long-standing policy of “one country, two systems”.
Sun Yat-sen sits at the centre of the message
Beijing honours Sun as a national hero and a patriot. It also calls him a pioneer of China’s democratic revolution. Xi tied that legacy to the goal of reunification. He called unification an unwavering historical mission of the Communist Party. He added that it is essential to national rejuvenation.
A family message with a firm warning
Xi described people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as one Chinese family. He said a family that stays together, talks and consults can solve any difference. He also argued that the two sides share a common destiny.
The tone turned firm on independence. Xi said efforts to push for Taiwan independence are doomed to fail. He warned that Beijing will leave “absolutely no room” for such activities. He urged people on both sides of the Strait to oppose separatist forces.
“The complete reunification of the motherland must be realised, and it will be realised,” Xi said. He added: “Taiwan’s future lies in national reunification.” He also insisted that “The tide of history cannot be stopped.”
Taipei’s view and what comes next
Taipei sees the issue differently. Taiwan insists that the island’s future belongs to its people. Xi’s speech did not announce a format or a date for official talks. So the Xi Jinping Taiwan dialogue offer remains a statement of intent for now.
Observers will watch the next big diplomatic moments. The upcoming APEC meeting could give Xi and US President Donald Trump a chance to discuss their differences. Still, there is little sign that the core disagreement over Taiwan is close to a solution.
Aditya Didwaniya
Mayur Mohta
Pratik Agrawal